Outbreak of STEC in Minnesota’s Acapulco Mexican Restaurant
Minnesota’s Department of Health declares E. coli Outbreak in Minnesota is linked to Mexican Restaurant, Acapulco.
This week Minnesota’s Department of Health declared an outbreak of E. coli illnesses in Andover, Minnesota. The outbreak is suspected to be linked to Acapulco Mexican Restaurant in Andover. The department has given very little information to the public as to the number and severity of cases involved. However, Doug Schultz, Minnesota’s Department of Health Communications officer, came out recently with a statement which confirmed suspicion of the Andover restaurant and states that the investigation is ongoing. In his short statement he says: “we are investigating a cluster of STEC cases that ate at the Andover location.”
While little information concerning this outbreak has been reported, the department said that this outbreak is believed to be over. The last person to have eaten at Acapulco Mexican Restaurant was reported as of this summer, August 2019. Acapulco is a family owned and operated restaurant by nine siblings with different locations. The location of concern is located at 13753 Ibis Street NW, Andover, MN 55304.
STEC stands for Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli. E. coli is a bacteria which lives in the intestines of humans and animals. Many forms of E. coli are harmless to humans and animals. However, pathogenic E. coli, such as STEC can instigate serious intestinal infection. Intestinal infection can cause intense symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, and fatigue. Although there are many different forms of STEC, the most common strain is E. coli O157:H7. In most cases E. coli infection can be passed within 1-2 weeks. However, E. coli infection can be dangerous for those with compromised immune systems such as the elderly, young, or pregnant. Furthermore, the CDC states about 5-10% of people who contract E. coli can experience a serious complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) . HUS develops due to damage of the blood vessels in your kidneys from the Shiga toxins which can lead to kidney failure if not treated promptly.
http://outbreaknewstoday.com/minnesota-e-coli-outbreak-linked-to-acapulco-mexican-restaurant-38795/
https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/e_coli/stec.htm
https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nndss/conditions/hemolytic-uremic-syndrome-post-diarrheal/case-definition/1996/
https://ronsimonassociates.com
